The 2018 regional elections saw convincing wins for several young reform-minded local leaders. In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Dirk Tomsa speaks to one of these leaders, Dr Bima Arya Sugiarto, about the challenges of reform in an environment where corruption and patronage is widespread.

Over the past few months, the Constitutional Court has issued two decisions that will prevent governors and the Ministry of Home Affairs from revoking problematic local bylaws, or perda. Professor Simon Butt writes that while the decisions have yet to cause much controversy, they spell serious trouble for legal certainty and the rule of law.